The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of the coping strategies and resources that firefighters use to deal with personal and workplace stressors. One hundred and fifteenfirefighting personnel from 4 fire departments in Illinois and Indiana participated. The Coping Resources Inventory for Stress (CRIS) Scale measured stress levels and coping strategies. The results showed that firefighters who were not physically fit, who lacked social support, and who were unable to control tension and structure daily activities experienced feelings of low confidence. The findings from this study can provide fire department administrators and company officers with ways to address stress in the ranks of the fire department. Future research should be conducted to identify the workplace and personal stressors of firefighting personnel and develop interventions to combat these stressors.

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Keywords: Fire fighters, stress, coping, emergency personnel, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, coping strategies, tension, social support, black humor, internal stress, external stress.